


Guard My Heart So It Won't Break

by Myoneloveismusic



Series: JayTim Week 2018 [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Bodyguard AU, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Secret Relationship, jaytimweek 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-04 19:40:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14027349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myoneloveismusic/pseuds/Myoneloveismusic
Summary: Jason had been Tim's bodyguard for years and their relationship had been half as long. He'd sworn to protect Tim no matter what, but Tim's not ready for him to cash in on his oath during an attack on a Drake Industries press conference.





	Guard My Heart So It Won't Break

**Author's Note:**

> As always I'm suuuuper excited to get things started for JayTimWeek 2018!! I love these pairing weeks and this will kick off what I think is going to be one of my greatest weeks yet for fanfic. 
> 
> However! There is something just as good with the start of this week. This fic marks my 50th fic posted to AO3 and I'm ecstatic to have made it to this point. ^.^ Here's to many more fics and many more jaytims!
> 
> This fic also has some lovely [art](http://universeone-ft.tumblr.com/post/172043395326/this-drawing-is-dedicated-to-my-dearest-friends) that accompanies it! ^.^
> 
> <3 MOLIM

Tim worked on knotting his tie as Jason spoke into the phone next to him.

“Understood. He’s just finished up and we’ll be down in a moment. The press are present and ready and the rest of security has secured the perimeter around the press conference?” Jason paused and listened to what the other person was saying on the other end of the line. “Good. Be down soon.” Jason hung up and slid his phone back into his pocket.

He stepped up behind Tim and watched his deft fingers put the finishing touches on the knot before tightening it. Jason ran his hands over the shoulders of his suit jacket, smoothing out the nonexistent bunches and wrinkles. Tim turned to face him, resting his hands on Jason’s chest over the lapels of the blazer Tim had convinced him to wear.

Jason dipped his head and captured Tim’s lips in a tingling kiss. He pulled back with a smile and squeezed Tim’s hip.

“We should get going. They’re expecting you.”

Tim sighed. “Let’s just get this over with.”

“You’ve done a hundred press conference. It’s not that bad.”

“I just don’t see why I’m the one who has to do the press conference. Shouldn’t there be some PR person for that so I don’t have to do it?”

“But it gives me a chance to see you all dressed up in a suit and tie.”

Tim’s lips quirked up in a smile. “You get to see me in a suit and tie all the time because of my job. Besides,” he said, running his fingers along the edge of Jason’s jaw. “I’m sure you’d much rather see me out of this than in it.”

Something sparked in Jason’s eyes and Tim had to suppress a smirk as Jason backed him up against the wall. “You’re right, but you have somewhere to be and if I don’t get you there, there’s going to be a lot of people out for my head if you don’t keep up your public appearances.”

Tim pouted as Jason stepped away.

“Now Mr. Drake,” Jason said, pulling open the door to the hotel room. “You have a press conference to attend.”

“Of course, Mr. Todd,” Tim said, smirking as he dragged a finger across the belt looped around Jason’s waist, making his nostrils flare.

“Careful,” Jason said as they walked towards the elevator and his eyes roved over the hallway in case there were any potential threats present. “Next time you tease I might not be able to stop myself from pushing you up against the side of a building and ravishing you in front of everyone.”

“The papers would have a field day knowing all of their suspicions were true,” Tim said with a grin, hitting the button for the lobby of the hotel. The doors closed behind them and they rode to the bottom floor in relative silence. Jason stepped out in front of Tim, keeping his eyes on anyone nearby.

They walked through the sliding glass doors to find a large crowd waiting outside. Tim blinked against the camera flashes and saw the other members of the security detail fight to keep them behind the barrier that was set up. Tim raised a hand in greeting and followed Jason through the close, but not quite touching, press of bodies to the stage that had been set up.

Jason escorted Tim up the steps to the podium and stood to the side, keeping a close eye on the crowd and the buildings around them.

Tim stepped up to the podium and cleared his throat. “Welcome citizens of Gotham. Today offers an exciting opportunity for Drake Industries and Wayne Enterprises. Our research teams are joining for the first time since the establishment of our separate companies to take on a new and innovative project.”

Jason hardly listened to what was coming out of Tim’s mouth. He’d heard him go over the words more times than he cared to count and had the speech half memorized himself. A slow moving car on the street caught his eye and Jason narrowed his eyes. When the window rolled down, Jason’s eyes widened and his lips parted on a silent gasp. He grabbed Tim’s arm and pulled him behind his body as the first shot was fired.

Screams resonated from the audience as people and press scattered. Jason flinched as something slammed into his shoulder and he fought to keep Tim’s body shielded from the shooter. As chaos erupted, the car drove off with a screech of tires. Jason sighed, relieved that Tim was safe and fell to his knees, making a grab for his shoulder. He hissed in pain and his hand came away covered in blood.

“Jason? Jason!”

He was forced onto his back and he looked up in Tim’s eyes. His face was pinched with worry and Jason reached up to try and smooth out the wrinkles that were digging a groove into his forehead. He frowned when he left a smudge of red on his forehead.

“Tim,” he heaved. “You’re okay.”

Tim bit his lip. “Jason,” he breathed. “An ambulance is coming okay. Just stay with me. Stay with me, please.”

A tear slid down his cheek and Jason’s frown deepened. “Don’t cry, Tim. Please don’t cry.”

Tim choked on a sob and caught Jason’s hand when it reached up to brush the tear away.

“Baby,” Jason whispered. He struggled to draw in a breath and before he could do anything else, Tim dipped his head, claiming Jason’s lips in a desperate kiss. He willed Jason to live and survive. He couldn’t let something kill him so easily.

Tim barely heard the sirens before he was being pulled away so the medics could attend to Jason. Cops covered him on both sides and escorted him towards a cop car. He craned his neck to try and see what the EMTs were doing to Jason, but their hunched backs blocked his way. He sagged against the car seat in the back of the cruiser and closed his eyes.

He paid hardly any attention to the ride to the hospital. He murmured his responses when the cops in the front told him he’d be brought in to answer a few questions but he was glad he wasn’t having to deal with that right away. He wouldn’t have been able to handle it. He knew he wouldn’t. Not when Jason was in the hospital with a fucking gunshot wound.

The cops escorted him into the emergency entrance and spoke with the receptionist. They didn’t even make him wait or give him a stack of forms to fill out. He was taken into the back by a nurse and escorted to a room to sit on a cot. The nurse flew around him with a clipboard in his hands, checking his vitals and asking him questions. He was left to walk out without even having to see the doctor.

He headed straight for the receptionist when he was let back out into the waiting room.

“Excuse me,” he murmured to her.

She looked up and raised an eyebrow. “Can I help you?”

“My…boyfriend was brought in on an ambulance. His name is Jason Todd. I’d like to see him if that’s possible.”

She hummed and typed a few things into her computer. “Sorry, hun. You can’t go back there now. He’s currently in surgery.” Tim’s heart squeezed. “When they get him settled into a room you can head back, but for now you’re going to have to wait.” Tim nodded. Her gaze softened and she offered him a rare smile. “Can you give me a name so I can call you up when he gets out?” she asked.

“Tim Drake,” he offered.

“Take a seat, Mr. Drake. I’ll let you know as soon as I have some new information.”

Tim shuffled over to one of the available couches and linked his fingers together, bracing his elbows on his knees. He stared at his hands, willing the minutes to go faster. Jason had to survive. The doctors had to help him. They had to.

The scene from the press conference played in his mind on repeat. Jason pulling him behind his body before the first shot was even fired and forcing him down when he was hit by a bullet. Jason bleeding in his arms.

Something on his pants caught his eye and he ran his fingers over a stain that barely showed on his pant legs. He ran his fingers over it and swallowed uncomfortably, knowing it was Jason’s blood on him.

_“In a stunning turn of events, a press conference this afternoon ended in gunshots.”_

Tim swallowed and glanced up at the T.V. in the waiting room. He looked over the stage that had been set up earlier and the footage from the press conference. He ignored the announcer’s commentary and watched the expression change on Jason’s face. It went from confusion, eyebrows drawing down in concentration to slow understanding as his eyes slid to the side to where Tim was still talking.

He sprang into action, grabbing Tim and pulling him behind his back as the first shot rang out. A shock ran through his body when the bullet impacted his shoulder and he dropped to his knees. Tim watched himself grab onto Jason and turn him in his lap. Watched his mouth move and his hands cup Jason’s face before they kissed.

Tim squeezed his eyes shut and dropped his head. Jason had to be okay. He had to be.

~~

“Mr. Drake?”

Tim’s head snapped up at the voice. The receptionist’s eyes immediately went to the movement and he stumbled to his feet, barely managing to navigate the maze of chairs without tripping over them.

“Yes?” he asked, gripping the edge of the counter in front of the glass. She smiled gently at him.

“Mr. Todd has made it out of surgery and has been moved to a private room.”

“Can I-Can I see him?” he asked.

She nodded. “He’s in room 223. Just head through those doors and that hallway will lead you to the patient rooms.”

“Thank you,” Tim said, already walking away. He pushed through the doors and walked quickly, pace getting faster until he was running through the halls. He gulped and swung around to face the staircase, skipping the first few stairs as he raced up to the second floor. He slowed down enough so he didn’t burst through the doors to the second floor and take someone out.

He scanned the room numbers as he past, becoming more frantic the closer he got. He froze when he turned the corner and found a door that was closed and had the three numbers he’d been searching for set into the wall next to it. He reached out with shaking fingers and grasped the handle, turning it slowly.

The room was dimly lit inside. The overhead light was off, but there was a lamp in the corner that had been left on. He walked inside slowly and swallowed thickly when Jason came in sight. He was surrounded by the starchy white hospital blankets, wires snaking around him to keep track of his vitals.

Tim wrapped an arm around his stomach at the sight and brought his other hand up to his mouth. If his chest hadn’t been slowly rising and falling underneath the blanket, he would’ve thought Jason was dead. He blinked as something wet hit his hand and swiped at his cheeks, trying to clear away the tears that were quickly falling.

He grabbed the available chair and dragged it up next to Jason’s bed, perching on the edge of it. He placed shaking hands over Jason’s and squeezed as more tears flowed down his cheeks.

“God, Jason,” he whispered, looking up at his face. “Why did you do that? I thought-“ he sniffed. “I thought I was going to lose you. I was so scared one of the best things in my life was going to be taken away.”

He sniffled and wiped at his cheeks, trying to clear away the tears even as they were replaced with more. He bowed his head.

“You should’ve just let me take the bullet. I’d be broken without you.”

The hand in his squeezed.

“No,” he rasped.

Tim’s head snapped up and saw Jason’s tired eyes open, head turned in his direction.

“I couldn’t let you take a bullet because no life without you is worth living.”

Tim bit his lip to stop the sobs that came anyway. Tears streamed down his cheeks faster as he looked at Jason looking at him. Jason raised Tim’s hands and kissed the back of them.

“Are you going to stay over there or do I have to haul your ass up on this bed with me?” he asked.

Tim laughed weakly. “I don’t think you should be hauling anything right after surgery.” He complied, pushing out of the chair so he could lean over Jason. He cupped Jason’s face, staring into his eyes and taking in how alive he was.

“I’m waiting for my post-surgery kiss,” Jason said, making an exaggerated kissing face.

Tim laughed again. It was stronger this time. He felt warmth spreading through his chest, knowing Jason was going to be okay. He leaned down and caught Jason’s lips. The kiss was warm and languid and everything Tim needed after having a few good years scared off his life.

“Come on,” Jason said, breaking them apart and doing his best to shift on the mattress. “This bed isn’t complete without you on it,” he said, tugging Tim’s arm.

Tim didn’t even bother arguing. He couldn’t find it in himself to worry when this was something he needed: the closeness, the warmth. He needed it so badly it was scary. But the whole day had been scary so that wasn’t really anything new.

He curled into Jason’s side and draped his arm carefully over Jason’s stomach. Jason’s arm wrapped around his back and he sighed, finally relaxing after everything that had happened.

“Let’s do what we always do and have a nice evening curled up on the couch together watching a movie,” Jason said, fingers fumbling for the remote.

Tim’s lips ticked up and he took the remote from Jason’s sluggish fingers, turning on the T.V. that hung on the opposite wall. Immediately, the news came up and Tim’s finger froze as footage from the press conference that afternoon filled the screen. He watched as Jason pulled him out of the way, getting hit with one of the other shots before falling to the ground. He watched himself wrap his arms around him and kiss him desperately.

Jason’s grip tightened around him and he felt all the same pieces shatter in his chest again.

_“Mr. Drake escaped the situation without any injuries. Mr. Todd was rushed to the hospital, but we have no information on his condition. It does seem that the rumors there was a less professional relationship between the two behind closed doors has now been confirmed.”_

Tim let the remote get pried from his fingers. He drowned out what the news anchors were saying, watching the replay of what happened again. He blinked when the screen suddenly went black and looked up at Jason.

“I’m fine,” he whispered, pulling Tim closer. “I’ll be better in no time. Just you wait and see.”

“Oh, I plan on being very observant,” Tim said, trying to find some humor in the situation. “I’m going to be the worst caregiver ever. I’ll dote on you all the time. You’ll get sick of the attention. You’ll get sick of me and want to throw me out of the house.”

Jason chuckled. “Sick of you? Never. And is this your way of asking me to move in with you?” he asked, kissing the side of Tim’s head.

The corner of Tim’s mouth ticked up. “Well…if the time is right…”

Jason chuckled again. “Seems like as good a time as any. My bed was starting to be too cold without you in it.”

“Does this bed count?” Tim asked, pulling back to look up at him.

Jason frowned in thought and looked down, shifting experimentally. “I’m not sure this bed could be warm if it was heated. But as long as you’re here…” he trailed off, nuzzling the side of Tim’s head.

Tim sighed and curled into him, finally succumbing to his exhaustion after the emotionally taxing day he’d had.

~~

Tim groaned at the sound of his alarm. He rolled over and smacked his hand on the bedside table to shut it off. He sighed when it was silenced and relaxed, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep. He made a noise he was not proud of when a finger poked him in the back.

“You can’t sleep all day, Tim. You have to go back to work sometime.”

Tim rolled over to find Jason staring at him with sleep-mussed hair and tired eyes. “Or I could just stay here in bed.”

“You need to go to work, Tim. I’m fine. You would’ve been okay to leave me alone days ago, but you insisted on staying with me.”

“Only because I don’t want you slipping in the shower and cracking your head open. You’d bleed everywhere. What if you stained the floor?” he asked with a faux-tired sigh.

Jason smirked and snaked an arm around Tim’s waist, pulling him flush against his chest. “You’re an annoying little shit you know that?”

Tim rolled his eyes. Jason ducked his head and placed his lips next to Tim’s ear.

“And I know you’re less worried about the floor and more worried about me going back to the hospital. I’ll be right here waiting for you when you get home from work.”

“Oh?” Tim asked innocently even as his stomach fluttered, his old worries lifting their heads again. “Will you be in exactly this same position or can I request something different? Maybe with a little less clothes…”

Jason rolled his eyes and pushed Tim towards the edge of the bed. “Go get ready for work. If you make it through the whole day I might consider something like that.”

Tim reluctantly pulled himself from the bed and bit his lip. Jason huffed, but before he could say anything, Tim leaned over and stole a kiss.

“Love you,” he whispered against Jason’s lips before he disappeared.

Jason smiled and closed his eyes. “Love you, too,” he muttered into the air as the first drops of water hit the floor of the shower.

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback, comments, and kudos are always loved and appreciated!
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